The Effectiveness of Laboratory Parameters in Predicting the in-Hospital Mortality of Iranian Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Background: The novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV (now SARS-CoV-2) has spread globally and affected healthcare systems worldwide. Due to lack of long-term immunization and effective specific treatments for the COVID-19 disease, there is a need of identifying the patients who are at the risk of a fatal outcome, according to the available epidemiological data and laboratory parameters. Objective: Thus, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of epidemiological data and laboratory para-meters for in-hospital case fatality in patients with COVID-19. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort of patients with COVID-19 admitted to the Shahid Mostafa Khomeini Hospital of Ilam University of Medical Sciences from February 29 until March 29, 2020 was performed. Epidemiologic data and laboratory results were collected. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were performed to evaluate the prognostic value of the laboratory parameters for in-hospital death. Results: A total of 256 Iranian COVID-19 patients were included in the evaluation; 38 of them died, resulting in a in-hospital case-fatality rate of 14.8%. The univariate analysis showed that advanced age [OR=1.04, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.06, P=0.001], smoking [OR=4.041, 95% CI: 1.546-10.563, P=0.004], white blood cells [OR=0.941, 95% CI: 0.904-0.980, P =0.003] and hematocrit [OR=1.060, 95% CI: 1.009-1.113, P=0.020] were positively associated with the risk of a fatal outcome. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that COVID-19 patients with an elevated white blood cell count and elevated hemoglobin level had 1% and 9% greater risk of an in-hospital death for each elevated unit [OR=1.07; 95 %CI: 1.024-1.088, P =0.002 and OR=1.379; 95% CI 0.064-1.788, P =0.015, respectively]. Conclusions: An increase in white blood cell count and an increase in hemoglobin level might be indepen-dent risk factors for in-hospital death in Iranian patients with COVID-19. Further studies are necessary in order to conferm the prognostic value of the variables discussed.

Effect of Cholesterol Removal Processing Using ß -Cyclodextrin on Main Components of Milk.

Various concentrations (0%, 0.5%, 1% and 1.5%) of ß-CD were mixed with different fat contents (1%, 2.5% and 3%) of raw (unhomogenized) and homogenized milk at two mixing temperatures of 8 and 20°C. The cholesterol residue, fat, protein, lactose, solid nonfat (SNF), density, and ash content of milk were measured for each treatment. The results statistically analysed and showed that the cholesterol content of milk remarkably decreased as the ß-CD was increased particularly in homogenized milk at 20°C. However, the reduction rate of cholesterol was decreased when extra ß-CD was added due to its intermolecular reactions. The maximum cholesterol reduction was achieved at the level of 1% ß-CD. The fat content, SNF, protein, lactose, and density content were decreased with increasing ß-CD whereas it did not affect ash content.